Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		2.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		2.0

Hellraiser: Hellworld Blu-ray Movie Review

Pwned.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 6, 2011

I see you all have a fondness for the macabre.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Sinking Horror franchises are no exception to that rule. When revenues begin to dwindle, fan interest dies down, and ideas become scarce, movie studios seem willing to go to any lengths to milk a franchise name one last time, the end result be damned so long as there's a slim profit to be made. In the never-ending battle to extend the service life of Horror films and franchises, studios have turned to dumbed-down PG-13 entries, eschewed the theatrical market for straight-to-home-video releases, and done all sorts of insane things to their beloved Horror characters, sending them out into outer space and whatnot in hopes of keeping the line moving and the cash flowing. With seven Hellraiser films already in the can and the series probably on the brink of irrelevancy, Hollywood's best and brightest decided to make another installment revolving around evil infiltrating the digital world. Unlike some previous Hellraiser pictures, Pinhead at least makes more than a courtesy appearance in Hellraiser: Hellworld, and the movie does serve up some excessive blood and guts. Still, with ideas spread thin, acting down the drain, and a script that's anything but refined, one can easily surmise that the movie doesn't stand much of a chance of improving on the series's best and brightest entries.

I honestly have no idea which 'Hellraiser' movie I'm in right here.

A group of friends are mourning the sudden death of one of their dear friends, Adam. They've bonded through their playing of a game known as Hellworld, a real-life video game that mimics the hellish violence and frightening characters of the Hellraiser films. Fast forward two years, and each of the group -- Chelsea (Katheryn Winnick), Mike (Henry Cavill), Allison (Anna Tolputt), and Derrick (Khary Payton) -- are still playing the game and all receive an invitation to attend Hellworld, a Hellraiser-themed party built on debauchery and evil. They arrive -- along with castoff former friend Jake (Christopher Jacot) -- and are greeted by the party's mysterious host (Lance Henriksen) who gives them the grand tour which includes not only a seemingly limitless supply of Hellraiser memorabilia and macabre curios, but dark secrets that will threaten the very lives of all who enter.

Artistically, there's absolutely no reason in the world why Hellraiser: Hellworld should exist. This is so far removed from the genuine horror of Clive Barker's original picture that it's completely unrecognizable as a Hellraiser film, save for a few appearances of Doug Bradley once again donning the Pinhead makeup and looking rather bored in it, obviously longing more for the days when his character meant something more than a face to slather on some direct-to-video box artwork. In Hellworld, the plot is dull and most of it is completely predictable; the movie telegraphs almost all of its secrets in the first act through bluntly-executed statements of fact that will of course come full circle by the end, and considering the limited character roster and overall small scope of the movie, it's easy to see most everything coming from the beginning. Making matters worse, the movie seems so certain of the impact, seriousness, and suspense of its twist-o-rama revelations that it borders on playing as pompous and condescending, a bad move for any movie that's the eighth in a fledgeling Horror series.

Maybe that arrogance comes from casting what must have been a desperate or bored-with-life Lance Henriksen. Give Hellraiser: Hellworld its due for reeling in a fairly big name for such a terrible movie, but it's not like the genre veteran either brings much to the table or is in any way capable of elevating an already miserable script to even tolerable heights. Henriksen appears to give the illusion that he's having a bit of fun with the part, but as the movie wears on it becomes clear that he's simply going through the motions. The remainder of the cast is no better; they're basically a run-of-the-mill low budget collection of nameless but pretty Horror fodder faces who aren't an embarrassment to their craft but who certainly do nothing to make the movie any better. If there's something good to say about Hellworld, it revolves around the film's direction and atmosphere. Series veteran Rick Bota manages to inject some visual flair into the picture, capturing the creepiness of a rather nicely-realized haunted hell house well. His knack for relatively smooth and capable genre direction saves the picture from going completely belly-up, but it's hardly enough to call Hellraiser: Hellworld a success.

Hellraiser: Hellworld Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Hellraiser: Hellworld arrives on Blu-ray with a midlevel 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. This is one dark and hazy image; depth is near zero and details are flat. The image scrapes by enjoying a boost in clarity and stability, but most viewers on smaller displays won't notice a substantial increase over standard definition presentations. Colors are mostly uninspired, with lifeless flesh tones and hit-or-miss blacks that seem to roam through the entire spectrum, either crushing out details or appearing gray and pale. Likewise, the grain structure and level of background noise fluctuate from near zero to excessive. Fortunately, the image isn't hindered by an excess of banding or blocky elements. Still, this is a lifeless, uninspired transfer that gets the job done but little more.

Hellraiser: Hellworld Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Fortunately, Echo Bridge has graced this Blu-ray release of Hellraiser: Hellworld with a DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack rather than saddling it with the studio's usual no-effort Dolby Digital 2.0 presentation. Unfortunately, this is far from being a killer soundtrack, but the results aren't unexpected considering this is a low-budget DTV movie. Music can be a touch mushy, and despite its healthy back channel supplementation, it plays with a slightly cramped sensation, too. Atmospherics are fair, particularly in the delivery of the various heavy tunes heard in the background during many of the party scenes and sequences. Directional effects are few but fare well enough. Dialogue is a strength; it's cemented in the center speaker and Pinhead's voice is appropriately boomy compared to the more balanced vocalizations heard from the remainder of the cast. The 5.1 track is a welcome addition; even if this one doesn't set the sonic world on fire, good on Echo Bridge for going the extra mile this time.

Hellraiser: Hellworld Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Hellraiser: Hellworld contains two extras, Ticket to Hellworld: A Behind the Scenes Look (1080p, 13:00) and an audio commentary featuring Director Rick Bota, Executive Producer Nick Phillips, Writer Joel Soisson, and Special Effects Designer Gary J. Tunnicliffe. Both features cover the film's adherence to Hellraiser mythology, the basics of the plot, the cast, the shooting locales, the challenges of the shoot, special effects work and the limitations of the budget, and more.

Hellraiser: Hellworld Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hellraiser: Hellworld is a completely superfluous direct-to-video clunker that does little more than slap a franchise name on a dumbed-down Horror movie. Sure Pinhead and friends appear in the movie, but this isn't Clive Barker's Hellraiser; it's just a cash-in and a picture made to keep the series in the public consciousness. Even series completists will have a hard time accepting this as anything more. Echo Bridge's Blu-ray release of Hellraiser: Hellworld features mediocre picture and sound quality, but unlike most past releases the studio has seen fit to include a pair of extras. Worth a rental for fans of the series who have yet to take this one in.